Enrique Vieira, one of the most prominent figures in the history of Portuguese basketball, died on Monday at the age of 65 from an illness. He left behind a brilliant mark in the sport, to which he devoted his entire life, first as a player, then as a coach, and then as a manager and coordinator.
Born in Quelimane, Mozambique on May 3, 1957, Enrique Vieira represented several clubs as a practitioner. Back in Africa, he started at Real Sociedad, then moved to Sporting de Lourenco Marques. After April 25, 1974, he joined the Académica de Coimbra, where he represented Ginacio Figueirense and Atlético, before moving to Benfica, where he gained immense fame. “He was one of the pillars of our basketball’s golden generation, an outstanding athlete who won the first seven of ten titles in eleven seasons, with a central role in the construction of unforgettable European pitches in the nineties that made Benfica fans so proud,” said in this Monday Rui Costa, president of Benfica, in a note published in the communication channels of the club da Luz. With the Reds, he won seven league titles, one Portuguese Cup, six Super Cups and two League Cups.
He played base/wing position and was an excellent pitcher away from the basket. He represented the national team 28 times.
He later pursued a coaching career. He represented Oliveirense, Atlético Madrid, Estoril Praia, Ovarense and Benfica, where he won two more national titles. Later, he was also the basketball coordinator for the Sport Algés e Dafundo.
Author: Mario Pereira
Source: CM Jornal
